G U L F M O N I T O R (Photos Click here) (More Gulf Indians News)
WiFi INTERNET SERVICE AT DOHA AIRPORT LOUNGES
QATAR AIRWAYS PROVIDES PASSENGERS WITH FREE INERNET ACCESS
28 April 2005
Doha, Qatar– Qatar Airways recently launched an innovative high-tech service for its passengers, providing them with wireless Internet access at Doha International Airport. The new service allows passengers the luxury of browsing the Internet through personal laptops without connecting to a phone line.The new free of charge service is available in both the First Class and Business class lounges, in addition to the Oryx lounge at Doha International Airport. This service is also available for economy passengers who are using Al Maha “Meet and Assist” services.
Wireless Internet access will enable passengers to connect directly to the Internet through laptops, which are equipped with wireless connections, or through using a wireless modem card available through Al Maha services, or the airport First and Business class lounges.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “This service is part of our continuous effort to enhance our services provided to passengers travelling through Doha International Airport on board Qatar Airways and other airlines. “This services is going to prove to be very useful for business travellers, and will help them in following up their affairs while waiting in the lounge. It might also provide a recreation for other travellers who want to browse the net.”
The new service to Doha International Airport coincides with the construction work which has started on the New Doha International Airport (NDIA), the first airport in the world to be designed and built specifically to accommodate the four-engined A380.
The New Doha International Airport is scheduled to open in 2009 at a cost of US $2.5bn in the first phase and will initially be capable of handling 12 million passengers a year. Once fully developed in 2015 at a cost of US $5.5bn, the airport is expected to handle up to 50 million passengers a year. One of the project’s key features is that 40% of the site will be built on reclaimed land from the Arabian Gulf.
OVERSEAS INDIAN CITIZENSHIP
The Minister of State (Independent charge) for Overseas Indian Affairs, Shri Jagdish Tytler told the Rajya Sabha today that the Citizenship Act, 1955 was amended in 2003 to provide for registration of Persons of Indian Origin from 16 specified countries who fulfill specified criteria as Overseas Citizens of India. These countries are: Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Republic of Cyprus, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States of America.The Minister further told that the Ministry of Home Affairs has received nearly 2000 applications from the concerned Missions/Posts. However, the application form and the procedure for the Overseas Indian Citizenship Certificate are being revised/simplified by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Hence it has been decided to put the scheme on hold to enable all the applicants to avail of the revised application form and the simplified procedure.This information was given by Shri Tytler in reply to a question by Sh. Santosh Bagrodia, Sh. R.K. Anand & Sh. Harish Rawat.Dubai eGovernment focuses on engaging customers in the process of policy making and governance
UAE residents given an opportunity to win prizes from Hewlett Packard by filling the online feedback form of Dubai eGovernment
April 27, 2005 Dubai eGovernment has announced that it is increasing its focus on engaging customers in the process of policy making and governance, in a move that is expected to result in significant benefits to both, customers and Dubai eGovernment.
“Engaging our customers will allow us to incorporate customer needs and expectations formally in our governance processes. Dubai eGovernment intends to establish a long term partnership with its customers through mutual feedback and contribution. The engagement of public will entail various mechanisms, in addition to cultural and process changes within Dubai eGovernment,” said Salem Al Shair, eServices Director, Dubai eGovernment.
The engagement of public will involve among other things, public feedback and public consultation. In an effort to raise awareness about its portal www.dubai.ae and to increase customer feedback, Dubai eGovernment has introduced a two-week promotion as part of a wider campaign to attract more users for its eServices. Under the promotion, UAE residents who fill in an online feedback form on dubai.ae are eligible to win various prizes from Hewlett-Packard, sponsors of the promotion. The promotion starts from April 27.
“Dubai eGovernment has used cutting edge technology and advanced solutions to make our portal a user-friendly channel that will enable people to migrate from manual services to fully secure electronic services. The portal serves as a gateway to all government departments through a centralised integrated system,” stated Al Shair.
“We are proud to say that Dubai eGovernment has put over 1,600 government services on electronic platforms and is on track to achieve its goal of delivering 90 per cent of public services electronically by the year 2007,” said Al Shair. “However, there are many people who are still hesitant to use electronic services. Through this promotion we hope to attract more visitors to the portal and motivate them to try out our online services. We are pleased to tie up with HP to offer prizes to participants in a raffle draw.” Al Shair added.
“HP is pleased to support this Dubai eGovernment initiative that demonstrates the high degree of commitment Dubai government has shown to its users, by providing high quality services and solutions. HP believes that innovation is the driver behind success and growth and by participating in this initiative we have a good opportunity to offer our latest and most attractive products as prizes to reward the most innovative and creative ideas from the portal,” said Joseph Hanania, Managing Director, HP Middle East.
“As Dubai eGovernment serves as a regional beacon in the field of electronic governance, HP is pleased to be associated with the promotion that will help thousands of people in the UAE get familiarised with online public services.” added Hanania. The promotion is open to all UAE residents. Participants have to fill in a feedback form on the www.dubai.ae portal and submit their entry. The entries will be judged by a committee comprising representatives from Dubai eGovernment and HP. Twenty-five best suggestions will receive prizes from HP. “The portal forms the main pillar of Dubai’s strategic policy of eliminating counters in the long term and positioning the emirate as the Hub of Digital Economy in the region,” said Al Shair.
“Dubai eGovernment aims to achieve customer focus, trust, transparency and accountability by engaging public in its policy making and governance processes. Customer focus forms a major part of our strategic agenda and we hope to work in close partnership with our customers to establish a long and mutually beneficial relationship. Our aim is also to build a rich feedback repository that can help our team as a backbone for our decision support mechanism, we hope our plans be more satisfactory through this program,” concluded Al Shair.
Net profits of Dubai Investments for first quarter of 2005 more than doubles
Achieves AED 226 million total income for the current period, marking a 98 per cent increase compared to 2003
April 27, 2005 Dubai Investments Group have announced a net profit of AED 54 million for the first quarter of 2005, ended March 31. This marks an impressive 145 per cent increase in net profits, compared to the same period last year, when the Group achieved net profit of AED 22 million. Dubai Investments achieved a total income of AED 226 million for the first quarter this year, which is a 98 per cent rise over the AED 114 million figure for the same period in 2004. The Group’s Annualised Return on Equity has jumped to 31.1 per cent compared to 12 per cent last year. Further, the total assets of Dubai Investments PJSC as on March 31, 2005 stood at AED 2.4 billion, which is an increase of AED 116 million, compared to total assets of AED 2.2 billion as on December 31, 2004. Commenting on the achievement, Khalid Bin Kalban, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Investments said, “This remarkable performance is the result of our committed and sustained effort to provide the best facilities and services to large number of companies and stakeholders. We will continue with our strategy of growth and expansion during the coming months as we attract leading companies from around the region to invest with us.” “We are constantly expanding to include new fields and industries within our fold. Looking ahead, we expect to attain increased levels of profit in the forthcoming quarters and this will help us to strengthen our position in the region,” added Kalban.
Saudi Arabia: Bush Should Call for Dissidents' Release
(Washington D.C., April 24, 2005) — U.S. President George W. Bush should call on Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah to immediately release three dissidents imprisoned for more than a year for petitioning for a constitutional monarchy, Human Rights Watch said today on the eve of the de facto Saudi ruler's visit.
In a letter to the U.S. president, Human Rights Watch also called for charges against the three Saudi dissidents to be dropped, and said that their lead lawyer, who was arrested in early November, should also be released and charges against him dropped. During the Saudi leader's visit, Bush should urge Saudi authorities to appoint women to the
recently formed municipal councils, and to establish a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.
"Without freedom of expression and association, there can't be political reform worthy of the name," said Joe Stork, Washington director of Human Rights Watch's Middle East and North Africa division. "The Bush administration's response to the dissidents' arrest has been completely inadequate. For the sake of its own credibility, it needs to speak clearly and publicly now."
In March 2004, Saudi authorities arrested 13 people in several cities for circulating a petition calling for a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament, and signaling their intent to form an independent
human rights organization. The government released 10 of them after compelling them to sign an agreement that they would cease theirpublic petitioning.
Three of the men — Matruk al-Falih, Ali al-Domaini, and Abdullah al-Hamid — refused to sign the statement, and remain in prison facing charges of "issuing statements" and "using Western terminology" incalling for reform. Their lead lawyer, ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Lahim, one of the 10 released in March, has been detained since early November for statements he made to the press about the case.
"President Bush should raise the cases of these dissidents by name when he meets with Crown Prince Abdullah," Stork said. "He needs to point out that vague proclamations of reform will be judged by what happens to people who peacefully petition their government for change." Human Rights Watch said that official promises that women would be allowed to vote when municipal elections are held again were not reassuring, and asked President Bush to urge the Saudi leader to take "concrete, feasible steps towards ending gender discrimination" by appointing women to unelected seats on the municipal councils as well as to the national level Consultative (Shura) Council, which is wholly appointed. Human Rights Watch noted that Saudi Arabia had publicly beheaded at least 40 persons since the beginning of the year, two-thirds of them from south and Southeast Asia. A number of those executed had been convicted of robbery and drug-related offenses. The letter asked President Bush, in light of the absence of basic due process protections in the Saudi judicial system, to urge the Crown Prince to declare a moratorium on all judicial executions.Innocent Man Caught by Abu Dhabi Airport Police Reveals Harsh Treatment
DUBAI - Abdul Jaleel T P, a driving instructor, who has been living a clean life in Dubai for the last 18 years without any criminal records had to spend eight days in the dark cells of Abu Dhabi because he happened to share a similar name and family name with another expatriate who was involved in a financial crime.
After coming out of the prison imbroglio caused by a mistaken identity, Jaleel spoke to 7-Days about the bitter experience in the UAE prison: "I was caught by the Abu Dhabi Emmigration Police on April 10, 2005 while returning from my vacation in Kerala by Air India flight from Calicut. The Emigration authorities told me that there is a criminal case pending against me and that I was not allowed to go with other passengers."
It seems that my name is identical with that of another Abdul Jaleel T P who was involved in a cheque case worth Dhs.15,000. "I was shocked when the emigration officials told me that I was involved in a cheque case and was a wanted criminal. I have been living in Dubai for the last 18 years. Every year I go to the Dubai Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters to get clearance certificate and renew my license as a driving instructor. Never in the past I was denied a good character certificate by the Dubai Police or CID," he said.
"Even though I pleaded my innocence and requested the officials to conduct an iris test of eye or finger print check to verify my records, they put me behind bars in the underground cell of Abu Dhabi Airport for one day and later in the Suwaihaan Central Jail for seven days," added Jaleel, a driving instructor with Arfa Driving School Dubai. "I had to spend the whole night in the airport prison and later in the Central Prison where hardcore criminals and murderers are imprisoned. "Both my hand and legs were chained and I was not allowed to talk to any of my relatives," he added. "My eight year old niece was accompanying me in the airport and the relatives were eagerly waiting outside," he added. "I was questioned and produced before the judge who found that there were no criminal cases pending against me," he revealed.
"In the last eighteen years I have no criminal record and I was carrying all the three passports. I had to lead a miserable life in the jail for eight days. Thy conducted an eye test only four days later and I was chained for many days. I could not move my hands," he added. "It is painful that an innocent man is treated like a hard core criminal. Detailed examination of the emigration computer records proved that even if my name and family was similar to the wanted criminal, my date of birth and mothers name were different. The wanted man was ten years older than me. I was mentally depressed for eight days and now they have told me to come back on next Sunday to get a clearance certificate to avoid similar problems in the future. In fact the victim faced a similar situation a year back when he was traveling from Calicut to Sharjah International Airport. "Then also I was stopped and was rleased only three days later. They promised to give me a clearance chit with which I could travel in future, but that paper did not reach me. My sponsor is a reputed defense official and he is not sure whether he will have to face such horrible situations in future travels too. Similar cases of people getting trapped for mistaken identity are reported. The problem occurs because of identity thefts and fake passports used by an international human trafficking racket, said experts.
22 April 2005
IRAQ Great concern after Al-Jazeera shows video of Romanians with threats by abductors
Reporters Without Borders and its Romanian partner organization, the Media Monitoring Agency (MMA), voiced "enormous concern" and reiterated their support for the families of the three Romanian journalists held hostage in Iraq after the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera TV station broadcast a new video of them today and said their abductors are threatening to kill them if Romania does not pull out its troops from Iraq in four days."We feel great anxiety at the sight of these three hostages handcuffed, thin, barefoot and with guns pointed at their heads," the two
organizations said. "We share the agony being felt by their families, friends and media colleagues. We reiterate our confidence in the Romanian authorities who, we are convinced, are doing everything possible to find a solution. By demanding the withdrawal of Romania's troops from Iraq, kidnappers are once again putting journalists at the centre of an unbearable act of blackmail."Reporters Without Borders and MMA added: "Marie-Jeanne Ion, Sorin Dumitru Miscoci and Eduard Ovidiu Ohanesian are not spies and should not have to bear the consequences of a governmental decision. We call on the abductors to make a distinction between essential work in the field by journalists and Romania's political decisions."The poor-quality video broadcast by Al-Jazeera today showed the journalists for the first since the video that was released the day after their abduction on 28 March. Their abductors, who are calling themselves "The Brigade of Mouadh Ibn Jabal," gave the Romanian government four days from today to withdraw its troops, failing which the hostages would be killed.
Al-Jazeera reported that, in the video, Ion called on the Romanian people to protest in order to pressure the Romanian government. A separate sequence showed the fourth hostage, Mohamed Munaf, who was acting as the journalists' guide, calling on US President Georges W. Bush to intervene to ensure his release.Ion, 32, a reporter with the Bucharest-based television station Prima TV, Miscoci, 30, a Prima TV cameraman, and Ohanesian, a reporter with the privately-owned newspaper Romania Libera, were kidnapped with their guide on 28 March, five days after arriving in Iraq.
Leo Burnett Integrates 'Work' with the Beach
More than 150 employees from four disciplines within the Leo Burnett Group of Companies, Dubai, enjoyed creative integration-building and employee appreciation activities More Dubai Executive Stories
Dubai, UAE, April 20, 2005 - It was a step back in time and a day away from the office recently for more than 150 members of the Leo Burnett Group of Companies, Dubai and Kuwait, who shared an employee appreciation and integration-building day beachside. Time was of the essence since this year's event, called "Blast from the Past", marked the 69th anniversary of Leo Burnett's opening in Chicago and decades of the agency's brand-building creative work in the Middle East. In line with the theme, the day's activities involved competition among 10 teams with names drawn from across the ages, beginning with "cavemen", moving on to "gangsters" and "hippies" among others, and ending with "rappers".
"Every day our people give their best to the company and to the brands they serve. Leo Day offers us a chance to celebrate their work, their initiative and their excellence," said Kamal Dimachkie, managing director, Leo Burnett Dubai and Kuwait.Although called "Leo Day", the annual event brings together all four companies that form the Leo Burnett Group of Companies, Dubai - CRM and digital agency Arc, brand agencies Black Pencil and Leo Burnett and Manning Selvage & Lee public relations. The Dubai event included staffers from the companies' Dubai and Kuwait offices.
"On this day we not only celebrate individual achievement, but also the success of the group as a whole - independent of our areas of specialization - in delivering effective, integrated, multi-disciplinary marketing campaigns. This holistic communications approach is a core aspect of what we offer our clients and is particularly important given today's complex and fractured media environment," Raja Trad, CEO, Leo Burnett Group of Companies, Middle East and North Africa.
Filled with competitions that generated skits, ballroom dancing, rapping, pirate ship building, fashion shows and storytelling, among much else, the day also offered delicious food and drink, azure oceans, great weather and a raffle for dozens of prizes. "By gathering together for team building and creative challenges, we deepen the meaning of integration on both an individual and organizational level," said Jean Traboulsi, regional account director, Leo Burnett, and one of the event planners responsible not only for the activities, but for developing the logo and theme of Leo Day. During the day, a number of employee honours were bestowed, including Employee of the Year, the LB Initiative Award and several Service Awards. The event concluded with the raffle, which gave away dozens of prizes, including the grand prize of a new car.
Haytham Lamaa, copywriter, who won one of the raffles and was one of the winners of the Leo Burnett Annual Initiative Award, said about the experience, "Everyone had a really great time. The activities were creative and inspiring and gave us a special opportunity to interact and hang out with colleagues from our sister companies in a different environment." Teams collected points throughout the day based on their success at various tasks and challenges. The top three were honoured with trophies.
Matt Wilde, senior web developer, who was on one of the winning teams, said, "You can't help but have a great time and be inspired when you're working with such great people. We have fun at the office, so it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that we'd have fun on the beach, even if we were trying to figure out how to build a sea-worthy boat from cardboard!" The Leo Burnett Group of Companies, Middle East and North Africa, whose origin dates back to 1974, has always been progressive in its thinking and approach. From a single brand agency, Leo Burnett as a group has grown to encompass a comprehensive range of communications solutions, including advertising, media, public relations, digital and CRM. The group offers both specialization and holistic integration to answer the ever-changing needs of both clients and the marketplace.
Founded in Chicago in 1935 with eight employees and three clients, Leo Burnett Worldwide, Inc. today operates a global network of over 200 operating units including a variety of specialty marketing services and 95 full-service advertising agencies in 83 countries. Leo Burnett creates ideas that inspire enduring belief for many of the world's most valuable brands and successful marketers, including McDonald's, Disney, Procter & Gamble, Marlboro, Altoids, Heinz, Kellogg, Nintendo and the General Motors.
GULF AIR AND BANK MUSCAT INTERNATIONAL (BMI) SIGN CREDIT AGREEMENT
" BMI will provide short term loan of USD7.5 million to Gulf Air.
Bahrain, Manama: Gulf Air and Bank Muscat International "BMI" have signed an agreement covering the provision of credit facilities by BMI to the airline.
In terms of the agreement, which was signed at Gulf Air's headquarters in Bahrain, Bank Muscat International "BMI" will provide a short-term loan valued at USD7.5 m to the airline. This bridging finance, initially for a period of one year, maybe rolled over at the bank's discretion. "While we are in good shape financially and have met our 2004 financial objectives in terms of Project Falcon, 2005 is a completely new proposition," said James Hogan, Gulf Air's President and Chief Executive. "Restructuring is an ongoing process, added to which we have the more pressing challenges in the form of strong regional competition and the high fuel price."
"Recent IATA and industry predictions point to losses in the region of USD5.5 billion if the fuel price remains at present levels", he said, "We are therefore taking all appropriate measures to ensure that we can meet our objectives and sustain the performance we achieved last year within this difficult environment."
Signing on behalf of Bank Muscat International (BMI), its Chief Executive Officer, Musallam Al-Shukairi said: "We are delighted to have concluded this agreement. Like Gulf Air, which plays a vital role in the economic infrastructure of the Middle East, we, at BMI, are committed to the economic stability and growth of the region and look forward to other opportunities for collaboration."
"BMI's strategy is focused on expanding in MENA region in the coming years and is committed to partnering the region in realizing its potential," he added, "BMI plans to strengthen its regional presence in the near future by expanding its network. In addition to Corporate Banking, our key strategic business units are Retail Banking, Private Banking, Treasury, Islamic Banking Services and Global Trade Services. This relationship with Gulf Air illustrates our mutually synergistic focus on the region."
FIZZING 2004 RESULTS FROM PEPSI FRANCHISEE AS IT PREPARES TO GO PUBLIC(Dubai, April 20, 2005) : Dubai Refreshments Company, the sole franchisee and distributor for PepsiCo products in Dubai and Northern Emirates, has announced a further increase in profit for the 2004 financial year. The company achieved a 27 per cent increase in sales volume and AED28 million operating profit, up 12 per cent on the previous year; meanwhile, market share in DRC territories reached 65.1 per cent. These impressive figures, including double-digit profit growth for the third year in succession, come as the company is preparing to be listed on the UAE bourse. According to general manager Alan Salem, the company's success over the last 12 months is particularly impressive when viewed in terms of an increasingly competitive marketplace.
He said: "For the third year in a row, DRC has posted exponential growth. Judged in real terms, we have increased sales from 8 million raw cases a year to 18 million in 36 months. For any company to achieve 225 per cent growth in such a small period of time is an exceptional performance. "Viewed in terms of a competitive market place, the profit margins start to look even more impressive. Dubai Refreshments has held the majority market share in the CSD category for three years now, but growth in sales volume has not come at the expense of everything else.
"The last three years has seen consistent growth, profit margins and turnover, and have put DRC in an extremely strong position to sustain this growth in the future." Since its launch in 2003, Aquafina, PepsiCo's international bottled water brand, has quickly become one of the leading water brands in the UAE and Oman. This exceptional performance has contributed significantly to overall volume growth, market share, and profitability.
7Up, also acquired in 2003, has achieved top-of-mind awareness in the carbonated drinks sector after a highly visible integrated marketing campaign. The drink is now the No.2 carbonated soft drink in Dubai, Sharjah and Northern Emirates - only beaten by Pepsi.
Technological investment is set to come into play through 2005, according to Salem, who said: "We have invested substantially in operating systems, such as ERP implementation, and hand-held terminals for sales, as well as infrastructure costs, such as a new distribution and logistics facility in Sharjah. "We see these improvements as set to help grow our bottom-line even further in the 12 months to come, as we concentrate on streamlining our operating procedures to maintain our competitiveness on price."New major accounts include the hypermarket Geant, as well as nearly 20 exclusive food and beverage outlets in Dubai alone.
DRC began as a limited liability company by Decree of His Highness, The Ruler of Dubai and amended its status in July 1994 to a Public Shareholding company. In 1962 DRC was appointed as the sole franchisee and distributor for Pepsi Co. Since the factory was established in 1959, DRC has remained at the forefront of the UAE refreshments industry, continually expanding through major investment in the latest bottling technology complemented by the highest levels of quality management.
Pepsi is the second largest company in the global soft drink industry, but in the UAE is the number one soft drink - well ahead of its major competitors. RC's product portfolio today includes Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, 7UP, Diet 7UP, Mountain Dew, Mirinda Orange, Mirinda Green Apple, Shani, Evervess Soda, Evervess Tonic, Evervess Ginger Ale, and Aquafina pure drinking water.
WORLD FAMOUS BALLET TROUPE BECKONS MIDDLE EAST ART LOVERS TO LAUSANNE
Guests at the renowned Beau-Rivage Palace offered best seats for Béjart Ballet performances
Dubai, 18 April, 2004: One of Switzerland's leading hotels, is offering culture vultures in the Middle East a chance to enjoy short summer getaway breaks and discover one of the world's most renowned ballet troupes. Special one-night packages at the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne from 14 - 24 June, will give Middle East couples and families a fabulous overnight stay with the chance to enjoy performances of famous ballets by the Béjart Ballet troupe. The prolific dance troupe was founded by one of the 20th century's most innovative choreographers - Maurice Béjart, and has its home in Lausanne. Beau-Rivage Palace guests will have the chance to enjoy L'amour - La Danse, an anthology which brings the audience extracts from some of Béjart's best loved ballets such as Roméo et Juliet and Brel et Barbara
In addition to one of the best seats at the performance and accommodation in a double comfort room, the package also offers travellers full buffet breakfast, a welcome drink, fruits and flowers in the room. Prices start at CHF 347.50 (approx. US$ 290) per person based on double occupancy.Guests can also arrange for limousines to whisk them off in style to the performances being held at the Salle Metropole in Lausanne, just 10 minutes away. Surrounded by acres of private parkland sweeping down to the shores of Lake Geneva, the Beau-Rivage Palace is an oasis of peace and sheer luxury. Guests can enjoy use of the hotel's fitness centre and tennis courts and can also take boat trips on the lake from the nearby quayside. While the Béjart Ballet has had a major role in establishing Lausanne as Switzerland's cultural capital, there is a multitude of other things for art lovers to do and see while in this poetic city. With a variety of galleries and museums, including the Olympic Museum, quaint shopping streets with an array of boutiques and cafes, the city is an ideal destination for short and long breaks.
